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Nonprofit Overview

Mission: CPCRN, founded in February 2001, rescues purebred Cairn Terriers and Cairn Terrier mixes which are homeless or soon-to-be-homeless, including, without limitation, those found in animal shelters or similar facilities and those released by their owners due to change in family circumstances or otherwise. We also rescue purebred Cairns which are being used as breeding stock by so-called puppy mills and backyard breeders, including those disposed of in puppy mill auctions. We arrange for the pick-up and transport of our rescue Cairns; arrange for their spay/neuter as well as for the provision of other appropriate veterinary care for them; rehabilitate and foster them; seek applications for and screen permanent homes for them; and adopt them to loving forever homes. We also educate the public about responsible Cairn Terrier ownership and care.

CPCRN is comprised entirely of volunteers that assist in the rescue, rehabilitation and placement of Cairns throughout the United States. CPCRN maintains a website at http://www.CairnRescue.com where the public can report a Cairn in need, apply to foster or adopt a rescue Cairn and obtain information on responsible Cairn ownership and care.

Programs: To rescue purebred cairn terriers and cairn terrier mixes which are homeless or soon-to-be-homeless and provide veterinary care, rehabilitation, fostering and adoption for these dogs as well as educating the public about responsible cairn terrier care and ownership.

Community Stories

38 Stories from Volunteers, Donors & Supporters

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Nearly two years ago while recovering from my first of many surgeries, I found the Col. Potter Cairn Terrier Rescue Network. My little boy Zane was saved by this wonderful group and I was lucky enough to be matched to him and became his mom. Col. Potter is an amazing group of selfless dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to find, rescue, treat and place Cairn Terriers into their forever homes. I don't know what my Zane's past was, I only know that he was loved and cared for by his foster parents before he became my perfect match. know this little guy knows how much he is loved by his very lucky new Mom. We curled up for a summer and healed/bonded together. What a joy he is! My life will never be same because of the dedication and care of this wonderful group.

I discovered Col. Potter 12 yrs ago after I bought a cairn from a 'broker' and wanted to learn more about the breed thru others' experience.. I volunteer in many areas from fostering, to transporting dogs, to craft making for fundraising, to finding homes for cairns in foster care-thru follow up after adoption. This organization truly cares about the breed/their foster dogs and great care is taken to bring the dogs' health up to par before any adoption takes place, as well as where each dog is placed in a perm. home. Each prospective home has reference checks done as well as checking with the family's vet. Home visits are always done to make sure the home actually matches what is written on the application-such as fenced yard, will dog be tied to a tree and left outdoors 24/7, etc. Dogs with expensive medical needs are taken in and fundraisers done if needed, as long as a foster home is available. This is a first class organization all the way around. This is a totally volunteer run organization,. There are no dues or membership fees requested to belong-only a love of the breed.

In my search for a Cairn Terrier puppy in 2007 I found Col. Potter Cairn Rescue. I decided I wasn't ready to adopt so I volunteered to help do transports -- they send the dogs each in their own crate! Wonderful! A few months later I adopted my Brodie from them. Two years later I adopted Connor, a 14 week old puppy. In early 2010 I started fostering little girl Cairns for CP -- I just sent my 17th foster to her forever home. And I have adopted my 3rd CP boy -- Harlequin! These folks are great to work with (things start a little slowly, that is just to make sure they are finding the right match between dog and forever home, don't get discouraged!), and many adopters develop a long-term relationship with the organization. You can't work with a better group to bring a ray of sunshine into your life!

I accidently found Col. Potter when I was considering adding a 2nd Cairn to my home, and decided to foster. The process was not hard, and the support I recieved as a 'foster parent' is unbelievable. I have not had more than a half dozen pups go thru my home, but each one was special in one way or other, and some I needed more help with than others. All are now in forever home and Col. Potter mentors continue with support as long as new owners desire. This is a great organization to be involved with.

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I foster for Col. Potter. I have only had 5 dogs and they have stayed anywhere from 6 months to 6 weeks. I was undecided about adding a 2nd Cairn to my household, which lead me to Col. Potter. The support, encouragement and experience of this organization has made efforts to make a diffence count.

What makes CPCRN a GREAT nonprofit? It isn't because CPCRN rescues dogs (specifically Cairns, ie. the 'Toto' from the film, The Wizard of Oz). Rescuing even hundreds of dogs annually doesn't make that much of a difference -- for those dogs, certainly -- but it's The BIG Picture where Colonel Potter's Cairn Rescue Network makes the difference. Case in point: CPCRN rescued my own 'Toto,' left an orphan when his owner(s) died. I stumbled upon CPCRN, looking for a pet for myself, and gave 'Toto' a home. One dog saved. However, consider the difference that has made, not just for that one 'Toto,' but for me, and the impact I have on others, and dogs in general. From CPCRN I have learned how to be a better, more responsible pet owner -- general health issues, diet, overall care -- and I've shared that with every dog owner with whom I have come into contact. I am confident with what I cite because I have learned it from experts who care, not just about Cairns, but all canines. I have learned from CPCRN the facts about mom-and-pop pet stores and the puppies they sell, backyard breeders, and large puppy mills, that sometimes take focus in the news, but more often than not, don't. I have learned what it takes to create a happy, healthy dog which, as a part of any family, makes for it being happier and healthier. Few pet owners get rid of a dog because it's perfect, and perfect for their family. So, take one rescued dog, one pet owner that rescued it, and multiply that exponentially, and you have some sense of what exactly contributes to CPCRN's being a GREAT nonprofit. It has not been unusual for me to meet any number of other dog owners, who, like me, rescue pets, and who feel good about it -- but what is different, and has made all the difference -- not just for the one dog -- but is the support given after the lines on the papers are filled-in, references are checked, vet history verified, monies exchanged, and the dog transferred. All the difference is what makes CPCRN 'great.'

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CPCRN impressed me SO much until when I was asked to join the organization, I jumped! I was considering several breeds a few years back, and knew I wanted my furry, four-legged companion to come from a rescue. Too many dogs, too few homes. I was impressed with Colonel Potter from the get-go, and they have never disappointed me: matching me with the right dog, and making sure a Cairn was 'right' for me; diet and care of my Cairn, health issues, education on pet stores and puppy mills, legislation regarding mills (and canines, in general), and overwhelming support from an organization that becomes 'family.' At the risk of insulting my own vet, I told him that when it came to issues with Cairn terriers, he'd just have to accept that I would defer to CPCRN. My husband's dog is also a rescue from a breed-specific group, and while they are a nice group, there is NO comparison.

Having some experience with rescuing a pet for the family over the years -- a JRT left with the Humane Society, and a Weimaraner with a breed-specific group -- when it came time for 'Mom' to have a pet of her own, I began researching. I had several breeds in mind, for different reasons and from a number of past experiences over the years, so I started looking at both breeders and rescue organizations.

I thought about Airedales, and ruled them as a possible 'out' just because of their size. The poodle group sort of 'blew me off' and I assumed I was just not frou-frou enough. At my age, I ruled-out another JRT (that had been dear daughter's dog, and he was a great one, albeit much like an 'energizer bunny' for real). Since childhood, I had loved Baum's work and Dorothy's little pal, Toto. Imagine my surprise when I discovered they -- Totos -- were a breed. Not just a cute mutt that filmed well in the 1939 classic.

Googling Cairns, I happened upon Colonel Potter's Cairn Rescue Network, and searching the site of available Cairns, found, easily, two dozen I would gladly bring home. Then, I got serious (I can be serious) and started applying some variables -- had to be a good companion in a size I could handle easily; should be good with children and others as I live in a family-oriented neighborhood; should mind fairly well as I live on a corner that at certain times of the day can be very busy with cars and school buses, and kids of all sizes. And really should be a rescue -- my own vanity of desiring a puppy, with its puppy breath-and-all set aside -- as there were apparently many, many dogs with need of a good home, which I felt I had to offer.

The first thing that impressed me about CPCRN was their commitment to their Cairns, and interest in making sure I would not only be a good home to a Cairn, but a right fit for the breed. (Every day, I offer up a small prayer to my now dearly-departed JRT, in that he educated me, and educated me well, in the ways and wiles of THE TERRIER.) CPCRN left no stone unturned, calling me, my husband, my references, the vet(s), and for all I know the local police department, CIA, FBI, and the AKC. I passed. CPCRN then assigned me to a matchmaker, and I would much prefer they consider a new nomer of 'magic maker.'

That I got a 'Toto' of my own was not the last of it.

Colonel Potter's Cairn Rescue Network has impressed me such, and I have been so grateful for my own little Cairn, until I jumped at the chance to become a member of the Cairn Rescue Mentoring group, and do what I can to help in the efforts they put into securing good homes for the dogs. They work hard diligently to rescue all Cairns, in need of homes and found 'wherever' -- orphaned or given-up by their owners, lost and not reclaimed, sick, elderly, and those sorely abused by puppy millers who have never known anything more than a small crate stacked upon hundreds of other small crates and left in the elements.

CPCRN has driven thousands of miles, spent small fortunes, and logged-in gazillions of hours, being true to their mission and to the Cairn they all love so much. Once that dog, in their rescue, is deemed 'adoption worthy,' the group makes sure it does, indeed, go to not only a good home, but the right home, and one worthy of THE CAIRN. It does not end with CPCRN's representative handing over a dog at the end of a leash.

The organization easily receives five stars for a rating of 'far exceeds expectations,' in that they provide the love and support to the new Cairn owner. What I have learned about diet and nutrition, dog behavior and expectations, and the love for a breed as well as personal companion or family pet, I could not have paid CPCRN enough. Not only does my own little Toto benefit, but my other dogs as well, and additionally, all of the dogs I ever come into contact, maybe to the chagrin of my neighbors, family, and mere acquaintances.

And that dozen Cairns I could have rescued? I am working on my husband now to achieve that end.

I love Col Potter !!!!!!! I was looking for a Cairn Terrier Calender when i came across one from CP...I purchased it and I was hooked. I had a cairn terrier already(Ozzie) but he was about 14 and I knew I wouldn't have him forever...so I joined CP rescue...since the I adopted Marvel and Twinkletoes...Love them both soooo much.This rescue is sooo awesome.I would rescue from them again in a heartbeat.The volunteers and organization are wonderful......I just can't say enough good things.It's all about the dogs. Please consider adopting a Cairn...they are the best!!!! I am now a blanket auntie...when a dog comes in to rescue they each get their own fleece blanket and bandana..I am one of the volunteers who does this. i LOVE COL POtter

In 2006 I adopted the sweetest Wheaten Cairn ever, Minkus. My experience with Col Potter's Rescue was amazing from start to finish. Their desire to make sure both adoptive puppy parent and Cairn are happy is evident. They were thorough, caring and informative. There were so many volunteers that touched my case, I marveled at the dedication of so many caring individuals. I am beyond happy with my experience and will adopt another little guy when the time is right and will go no where else except Col Potter's Cairn Rescue.

In 2003 we brought home our first Colonel Potter kid, a four month old puppy we named Beau ( he was a southern gentleman) and I joined CRM at that time. A few years later I responded to a request to do a home safety inspection for CPCRN and loved being able to give back to the organization that found our little guy for us, so I became an active volunteer on the communications team doing reference checks for potential adopters. I cannot say enough about the dedicated teams that make up this organization and I am very proud to be part of it all. My heart is happy helping these wonderful animals find their forever homes. We recently welcomed our 2nd Colonel Potter fur kid into our lives, a 5 year old puppy mill mumma we have named Baci which means "kisses" in Italian. I hope to be part of this volunteer organization for a long time to come!

This is one of the most organized and efficient non-profits I have ever worked with. They make every penny count, they support their volunteers 100% and they put heart and soul into saving the dogs brought into their network. I do several jobs to help, including hundreds of miles of transport every year. But my favorite is fostering. It has been a life changing experience for the dogs entrusted to my care as well as for me.

I lost my little cairn in 2001 and the loss created a huge hole in my heart. Thru my tears, I googled CAIRN TERRIER and was brought to the Col. Potter Cairn Rescue website. I looked at all those little ones needing an nice comfy home. I sent in my application and was approved and adopted the most darling little boy named Rocket Man. I have had my boy for over 10 years and he is now 12 yrs of age. Rocky has filled that hole left by the loss of Moses and now Col. Potter has become like family to me.

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I volunteer as a Home Safety Visit Coordinator and a Foster Home Mentor. I previously fostered and rehabilitated cairn terriers and sent them on to their forever homes.
From the moment an applicant submits an application to
adopt, to the moment the newly adopted cairn becomes a member in it's forever home, Col. Potter goes to great lengths in it's process of adoption. From reference checks to the home safety visit, to the approval, to the matchmaker wo helps find the perfect cairn for the perfect home, and finally once the little furkid is in it's home, the post adoption coordinator is the final volunteer in this process making it one of the most successful rescue organizations in the US and Canada

These people are amazing! I can't say enough.They will not only be there for you to decide if a Cairn is right for you,but will then help in finding the perfect little one,and be there for you as long as you want or need them! You will be blessed by any involvement with Col.Potter,and God bless these hard working/loving people!

I lost my cairn of 16.5 years on August 28, 2004. Little did I know that my Sissy was born on the same day. I went to the web looking for sites about grieving and came upon Col Potter Cairn Rescue. I filled out an application, but really wasn't serious about adopting until I saw Sissy fka Almond on the website and her birthdate. Well that was it. They did an extensive background search, checked references, etc. On December 4, 2004, Sissy became ours. I met a bunch of wonderful people through this group, especially the foster parents of Sissy who i am still in contact with and others. Thank God for these people who save and rescue Cairn Terriers/Mixes. Without them these dogs don't have a chance. I highly recommend them.

What a great nonprofit! They first and foremost objective is to help cairns in need. I am a volunteer and also rescued one of the dogs after fostering him! We just couldn't let him go. The volunteers with the group are very special, kind and thoutful. Every need is taken care of and usually above and beyond. I couldn't think of a better group.

I have been a Col Potter foster parent for a few years. I needed help then and still getting it today. The leaders, Mentors and all Volunteers are always at your email or phone to help you out. Not only all the wonderful and different dogs I get to care for but all the forever parents that have become my forever friend. I have to thank Col potter org. all the time for all this.

I discovered Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network when we decided to adopt a companion for our cairn terrier, Chewy. After adopting Walter, we started volunteering with Col. Potter in order to "pay it forward" and also because we were so impressed with the organization. We started out doing some transportations and since then have fostered ten Cairns. We were honored to help them on their way to a forever home. As a volunteer I am even more impressed with the workings of Col. Potter as an organization. The board of directors is very involved and many work directly with the volunteers. Col. Potter is very open with their policy and procedures and with unfailing patience explains them both to their volunteers as needed. The intakes, fostering and matchmaking process is a well-oiled machine and handled in a very fair and professional manner. And there are NO paid employees - NONE! Every penny of every donation goes directly to helping cairns in need. I am very proud to be a part of Col. Potter and I recommend them whenever possible.

We adopted a Cairn from this organization in April 2011. Riley had belonged to a breeder but had been in a foster home for a couple of months before we adopted her. I can't say enough about this organization. From the application process through the adoption and post adoption coordinators, everyone was friendly and professional. Foster homes help socialize the rescues and prepare them for their forever homes. The matchmakers make sure that you get the right dog for your family situation. Riley has been a wonderful addition to our family. I was so impressed with this group, I decided to become a volunteer.

My name is Linda Bagley and I am a volunteer with Col. Potter Cairn Terrier Rescue, www.cairnrescue.com .

I came across your website and saw your page on helping our rescue.

As part of the Promotions team we are very open to any avenue that we can find to raise money while raising awareness to adopt and not to shop. Our organization places approximately 300 - 400 cairn terriers in forever homes every year. We turn no dog away. As we are a breed specific rescue our dogs are cairn terrier or cairn terrier mixes.

When I say we turn no dog away that means even if they have medical conditions. Our objective is to raise money to rescue cairns and get them the medical treatment that they need, be it basic or emergency surgeries. This is a common occurrence for us as 1/2 the dogs we take in are from puppymills and kill shelters, the other half are owner surrenders.

Here is the story of Miracle, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzRwhNYe_IU .

Before and after pictures of many of the dogs that we have rescued
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlDGGokAWxo

We are approximately 800 strong, everyone playing an intricate part, be it foster home, blanket auntie, transports, our list of volunteers sometimes do double duty. We have no building, no kennels, just people working out of their homes all across the US and parts of Canada communicating over the internet.

We are looking forward to hearing from you as to what kind of a partnership we can form to raise money. I never want to think we will ever have to turn a dog away, not during my lifetime. Thanks so much for this opportunity. If I haven't overwhelmed you enough here are some stories from families that have adopted our rescues, http://www.cairnrescue.com/adoption/stories.php

To us it doesn't make sense to rescue a dog and keep it locked in a kennel. Putting dogs in foster homes so that they can learn what a loving home is is the only answer.

Saving just one dog won't change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog.

I continue to be involved with the wonderful organization of Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network. We decided to become a foster home for rescued cairn terriers in 2010. Fostering is one of the most gratifying experiences. It is truely amazing the comprehensive vetting and care Col. Potter provides for each one of their rescues. Col. Potter will take a cairn that no other rescue wants because of health issues, and fully vets them and gives them the chance to be happy and healthy cairns in a loving forever home.

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In 2008 our oldest cairn died of heart failure leaving our 6 yr. old cairn, Tigger, extremely lonely and our family grieving for the loss of our wonderful companion. We decided that our family needed another cairn and started searching cairn rescues. We found Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network during one of our web searches. After checking out their web-site and reading all of the information we could on Col. Potter, we applied to adopt one of their cairns. We were so totally impressed by how thorough they were. This group makes sure that every one of their cairns is placed in the proper home -- the right cairn for the right people. After the adoption of our wonderful Wiggles was complete, we decided that we would like to give back to this wonderful rescue organization as is is 100% volunteer and it takes a lot of time and energy to do all that they do. We became volunteers in Jan. of 2009 and help in different capacities. I can't say enought good things about this rescue organization. If anything needs to be done for any rescued cairn, then it is done, no matter how much money it costs.

We are so impressed with Col. Potter! We brought our first Cairn, Rusty, into our lives from a breeder. Rusty is wonderful and the breeder seemed like a nice person who claimed she only bred her dogs once a year for her kids' college fund. Who knows? We always talked about finding Rusty a playmate and constantly looked in the paper and online. My husband stumbled across Col. Potter. Long story short - we adopted Pepper. Every volunteer who worked with us throughout the adoption was friendly, responsive and genuinely concerned for the welfare of the Cairns. They exercised "due diligence" in determining whether the adoptor and the adoptee would be a positive match. Pepper is the perfect match for our family. We feel as if we have a special "bond" with her foster parents - they were great matchmakers and we are grateful. Without a doubt, we will adopt more Cairns from Col. Potter when the time is right.

We bought a Cairn in a pet store many years ago. She was an awesome little dog and lived with us for almost 18 years. We got a couple of dogs from a shelter after she passed but we really wanted a Cairn again. I searched for many hours on the internet and finally found the very beginnings of Col. Potter. We started fostering shortly after 9/11 and we are thrilled with fostering. It's a way to 'make up' for having gotten a dog from a pet store which we now know is a terrible way to acquire a dog (ALWAYS go to a rescue or shelter). We've fostered over 60 Cairns since then. We've adopted two of our fosters. We enjoy having different dogs in our home and we think our dogs enjoy that as well. Every one brings something different to the relationship. We laugh, we cry, and we totally enjoy fostering and working to help Cairns in other ways as well. There are many different ways that people can help, join us and find your way. You'll be so glad you did!